Page 62 of Runaway
“Take that guy out hard, Bailey.”
My knuckles cracked when I squeezed my fist too hard. “It's going to be my pleasure once we can find him.”
While Benjamin turned back to the wall that still needed primer, Mav caught my attention again. “Not sure if it was anything,” he said, but I could tell something with it didn't sit right for him. “Just thought I'd let you know.”
“Thanks, brother.”
When I turned to go with one final head jerk, Mav stopped me.
“You got this handled?” he asked. He meant Adventura. He meant the mortgage. He meant everything that was, most definitely,nothandled and would be due someday soon. I couldn't remember when.
“You know it!” I called over my shoulder with my usual, laissez-faire verve. He must have bought it because neither of them said a word as I descended the stairs, my thoughts a storm.
* * *
The Zombie Mobile creaked and groaned as I lumbered out of Pineville and into the canyon. Most likely, I imagined the feeling of being watched but felt even greater concern and sympathy for Stella now. Was this unsettled feeling what she'd been living in for weeks now?
Bastard.
With JJ and Megan at the camp with Stella, I took a detour off the highway and onto a familiar dirt road. By the time I made it back to Dad's property, the sun was overhead and my stomach grumbling. Dad would probably have tuna, egg salad, and old bread. His weird favorites, for some reason. When I skidded to a stop, a figure in a broad hat slowly looked up from where it sat near the creek. I chuckled.
The old man had fallen asleep fishing.
When the truck door slammed, Dad straightened up and waved a lazy hand. His fishing line had gotten tangled up down the street in some brambles, but he hadn't noticed yet. Instead, he rubbed a hand over his face and readjusted his hat.
“Good nap?” I clapped him on the shoulder. He grumbled something at me while I grabbed an extra chair propped against the house and brought it over. By then, he'd started to tug on his line again.
“Great nap.” He yawned. “You should try it sometime.”
I snorted.
“You never did nap,” he muttered bitterly. “Stopped that business when you were 18-months old, you monster.”
That did sound like me. While I settled into the chair, Dad eyed me from the corner of his eye, then glanced back at the truck.
“You alone?”
“Stella's with Megan and JJ.”
He grunted. With the lure returned, he reached for new bait. Unlikely he'd get anything now, but Dad would be aware of that. He always had to have something to do with his hands when we spoke. Getting fish wasn't the point of fishing.
“You liked Stell?” I asked.
Dad cast, chewed on his bottom lip, and nodded.
“How?” I asked. “You saw her for all of ten seconds and spoke three words to her if that.”
“You've talked about your accountant before. When you texted me and said she was going to stay with you for a bit, and then I saw her,” he shrugged, “simple arithmetic.”
“So why did you like her?”
“She's got an honest face.” He shot me a perturbed look. “And she might be the only person on this planet you've ever listened to when it came to all your businesses.”
“She's brutal that way.”
He laughed. “Besides,” he drawled, “she's the only one that didn't seem afraid of me.”
“You have a good eye for people.”
